July 25, 2002

With
huge financial scandals causing turmoil in the United States, this year has
seen some vigorous reporting about high-level misdeeds and corporate
manipulation. But many news stories just take the lead from top officials. In
the months ahead, we'll find out how deep American media outlets are willing to
go.

Big scandals
always generate plenty of headlines and lots of excitement. Important
information can emerge. But frequently, key facts remain buried and crucial
questions go unasked. If it's true that reporters produce a first draft of
history, they often serve as conformist "jiffy historians" who do
little more than recycle the day's conventional wisdom.

A dozen years
ago, when journalist Martin A. Lee and I were writing a book about media bias
("Unreliable Sources"), we tried to assess what had
gone wrong with news coverage of the Iran-contra scandal. Along the way --
under the heading of "Signs of an Official Scandal" -- we listed some
general characteristics of coverage routinely providing much more heat than
light.

Today, it may
be useful to consider how some "signs of an official scandal" apply
to media treatment of the current uproar shaking Wall Street and Pennsylvania
Avenue:

*"The scandal comes to light much later
than it could have to prevent serious harm."

Yup.

*"The focus is on scapegoats and fall
guys, as though remedial action amounts to handing the public a few heads on a
platter."

Hours after USA
Today reported on its front page last Wednesday that "the search
for big-time fall guys in the recent corporate debacles could be a long
one," former Adelphia Communications CEO John Rigas, two sons and a pair
of other execs at the firm were under arrest. A delighted White House spinner,
Ari Fleischer, called the action "a clear sign of this

administration's
commitment to enforce the laws so justice can be done."

*"Damage control keeps the media
barking but at bay. The press is so busy chewing on scraps near the outer
perimeter that it stays away from the chicken house."

Too soon to
tell. Some reporters and pundits have been gnawing on Wall Street
scamster-turned-regulator Harvey Pitt, and the SEC chairman may soon find
himself ceremoniously tossed over the White House fence onto the sidewalk.
We'll see whether such scraps will satisfy the hungers of the Washington press
corps.

*"Sources on the inside supply tidbits
of information to steer reporters in certain directions -- and away from others.
With the media dashing through the woods, these sources keep pointing: 'The
scandal went that-a-way!'"

Beyond all the
partisan salvos, basic conflicts exist between corporate power and potential
democracy. The news media have not yet clearly defined the scope of the current
scandal or its implications.

*"The spotlight is on outraged
officials ... asking tough questions. (But not too tough.) As time passes,
politicians and/or the judicial system take the lead in guiding media
coverage."

But this scandal
is unusually volatile because many millions of employees and retirees-to-be are
furious that corporations have methodically ripped them off. News media are
spotlighting their predicaments and justifiable anger. Officialdom may find
that the usual media-manipulation techniques are inadequate to co-opt the
growing rage at the grassroots.

*"Despite all the hand-wringing, the
press avoids basic questions that challenge institutional power and not just a
few powerful individuals."

Yes, some
former private-sector heroes are becoming prime-time villains. And in
Washington, after flak-catching functionary Pitt gets tossed overboard or
decides that he must spend more time with his family, the ex-captain of (the
U$$) Halliburton is likely to face increased pressure as more becomes known
about Dick Cheney's former lucrative role as head of that particular
books-cooking firm.

But the
nonstop flood of corporate money into the coffers of the two major parties has
not slowed. And while the latest "official scandal" shows no
indication of abating anytime soon, there's still a shortage of high-profile
reporting on the nation's extreme disparities of power.

In this scandalous era, savvy
operatives like Pitt are expendable. So are any politicians -- including Machiavellian
string-pullers like Cheney and princely marionettes like George W. Bush. While
journalists may feel empowered to focus on greedy individuals who excel at
deception, now is also a good time to explore options for fundamentally
changing an entrenched system that remains hostile to economic justice.

Norman Solomon's latest
book is "The Habits of Highly Deceptive Media." His
syndicated column focuses on media and politics. Email: mediabeat@igc.org